...But charcoal grills are so DIRTY!

[MeatAndPotatos]

 
Am I the only one who responds borderline physically to people whining about this?
I grew up in a family who only used gas because "charcoal is too dirty"

I have seen them practically recoil from the force of my rebuttles, so apparently its something I am passionate about. 

My first legitimate charcoal grill was a jumbo joe. I figured I am no stranger to getting my hands dirty...

Only to find that the only times I got my hand dirty was handling the cooking grate... And that was more of a dirty cooking grate thing then a charcoal thing.
I loaded the coal with tongs. It burns to ash and falls into a pan or the bottom of the grill... then I removed the pan and dumped it in the trash (once cold), and likewise could pick the whole grill up and dump the ash into the trash with out touching anything. Nothing really dirty about it. No need to get coal or ash on your hands.

Again, stepping up to a performer... Load with tongs, all the ash fall into a pan with a handle... Never touch anything but metal.

What the hell are these people doing that is so messy? Shit if anything, my gasser that didn't really facilitate using a drip pan is what was dirty. The grease trap on that thing.... 

Just me? (I am guessing no...)

[Lumpy Coal]

Ya I agree it probably the same whiners who whine about charcoal being so slow.  I figure they just have learnt to do it properly. 

I tend to have to calm myself  down when faced with these sub citizens. 

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[brewtownbeatdown]

Just me? (I am guessing no...)

You are not alone. Fu€k gas!!!  The only way gas & grill go together, is "I enjoyed a charcoal grilled..., & it gave me gas".


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[brewtownbeatdown]

sub citizens. 
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Hilarious


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[MeatAndPotatos]

Ya I agree it probably the same whiners who whine about charcoal being so slow.  I figure they just have learnt to do it properly. 

I tend to have to calm myself  down when faced with these sub citizens. 

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Oh man... I meant to include that.
Light a chimney of lump up real good and its ready in like 10 minutes.
Light your gasser up and let everything preheat and its ready in like... 10 minutes.

So little time difference. I guess most people are not letting their gas grill get warmed up real good though.

[Snowbeast]

I own three braai's (south African bbq using fire) two kettles, a firepit and a gas cooker. I never use the cooker. Prefer the taste and the cleaning is easy.

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[mrbill]

i'm gonna play devil's advocate here. charcoal cooking is dirtier than gas cooking. regardless of how it's done, with charcoal cooking, there is always the spent ash that must be disposed of as well as the cooked off grease. gas cookers only need deal with the grease. however, charcoal/real wood cooks taste much better than gas cooks to the extent that the extra clean up is worth the difference in flavor.

[MeatAndPotatos]

i'm gonna play devil's advocate here. charcoal cooking is dirtier than gas cooking. regardless of how it's done, with charcoal cooking, there is always the spent ash that must be disposed of as well as the cooked off grease. gas cookers only need deal with the grease. however, charcoal/real wood cooks taste much better than gas cooks to the extent that the extra clean up is worth the difference in flavor.

But getting to and dealing with that grease and grime, at least on all grills I have owned, Is much messier a proposal then on a standard kettle.

I my kettle, lift the grate, place tin foil pan/tin foil folded up to make a lip.

Can't do that on any gasser I have cooked on or own. Its grates with very little clearance above flame shields then burners, all of which get dripped on, then a catch pan that funnels into the nastiest little drip cup.

I guess it does come down to maintenance and users, but the gassers require so much more disassembly to get at that drip pan that its rarely done, where I can have a pan that I only need to lift a small grate to get at.

Sure there is spent ash.... But it falls into a pan with a handle, where you don't need to touch it. I have yet to see a gasser where you don't touch anything but a clean stainless steel handle to get at the nasty bits.

[mrbill]

i'm gonna play devil's advocate here. charcoal cooking is dirtier than gas cooking. regardless of how it's done, with charcoal cooking, there is always the spent ash that must be disposed of as well as the cooked off grease. gas cookers only need deal with the grease. however, charcoal/real wood cooks taste much better than gas cooks to the extent that the extra clean up is worth the difference in flavor.

But getting to and dealing with that grease and grime, at least on all grills I have owned, Is much messier a proposal then on a standard kettle.

I my kettle, lift the grate, place tin foil pan/tin foil folded up to make a lip.

Can't do that on any gasser I have cooked on or own. Its grates with very little clearance above flame shields then burners, all of which get dripped on, then a catch pan that funnels into the nastiest little drip cup.

I guess it does come down to maintenance and users, but the gassers require so much more disassembly to get at that drip pan that its rarely done, where I can have a pan that I only need to lift a small grate to get at.

Sure there is spent ash.... But it falls into a pan with a handle, where you don't need to touch it. I have yet to see a gasser where you don't touch anything but a clean stainless steel handle to get at the nasty bits.

never said it wasn't worth it I don't own a gasser for a reason

[Grizz]

I do have a question though, how often do you all clean the inside bowl and lid.  I do see little clouds of ash lift up and swirl around when I take the lid off because of the fine layer of ash clinging to the inside.  It all settles down by the time the chimney is ready to go, but I was just curious how long other folks go between cleanings.

[addicted-to-smoke]

I wear disposable gloves when handling charcoal. But keeping sleeves or jackets clean can be a challenge in cooler weather. I haven't yet found a way to avoid ash swirling in the air when moving it, Performer or not.

It's worth it to me because I gain a direct relationship to understanding the heat source and working with it. Gas cooking is all abstract to me, the knob's position and little else. And there are so many more opportunities to better taste with live fire of course.

Grizz I don't frequently clean mine. I pay attention to the grates and the ash/charcoal and don't have a lot of time to go back the next day and wipe out wipe down scrape off or whatever.

[MeatAndPotatos]

i'm gonna play devil's advocate here. charcoal cooking is dirtier than gas cooking. regardless of how it's done, with charcoal cooking, there is always the spent ash that must be disposed of as well as the cooked off grease. gas cookers only need deal with the grease. however, charcoal/real wood cooks taste much better than gas cooks to the extent that the extra clean up is worth the difference in flavor.

But getting to and dealing with that grease and grime, at least on all grills I have owned, Is much messier a proposal then on a standard kettle.

I my kettle, lift the grate, place tin foil pan/tin foil folded up to make a lip.

Can't do that on any gasser I have cooked on or own. Its grates with very little clearance above flame shields then burners, all of which get dripped on, then a catch pan that funnels into the nastiest little drip cup.

I guess it does come down to maintenance and users, but the gassers require so much more disassembly to get at that drip pan that its rarely done, where I can have a pan that I only need to lift a small grate to get at.

Sure there is spent ash.... But it falls into a pan with a handle, where you don't need to touch it. I have yet to see a gasser where you don't touch anything but a clean stainless steel handle to get at the nasty bits.

never said it wasn't worth it I don't own a gasser for a reason

Im not even convinced its a worth it thing though. As I said I could never use a temporary drip pan on my gasser. The grill, and my hands were often dirtier working with the gasser then my performer since its an open bowl I can put a pan into to catch grease, and all ash falls through the bottom into an enclosed container.

I just can't agree that gassers are cleaner. Never been my experience.

I do have a question though, how often do you all clean the inside bowl and lid.  I do see little clouds of ash lift up and swirl around when I take the lid off because of the fine layer of ash clinging to the inside.  It all settles down by the time the chimney is ready to go, but I was just curious how long other folks go between cleanings.

I do get that a little. Per webers instructions don't lift the lid straight up, rather kind of slide it off to the side. Lifting straight up will kick up more ash.
I basically do nothing after cooking. Before cooking I will move the sweepers back and forth a whole lot trying to clear all the ash, or as much as I can. Ill light a fire and let it get hot then take a brush to the grate. That's about it.

[MacEggs]

Lots of black around the door knobs ... and light switches in my house ... That's what Spring-Cleaning is for. 

[Lumpy Coal]

...but charcoal cooked food is so tasty!

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[MeatAndPotatos]

Lots of black around the door knobs ... and light switches in my house ... That's what Spring-Cleaning is for. 

Do you handle coal by hand?

Perhaps that is the distinction here? I don't touch any coal or ash with my hands, I load coal with tongs and dump ash from the pan...